The death of Queen Anne in 1714 caught the Jacobites off guard and they were not prepared to contest the succession of George I to the throne right away. Although George was crowned without incident, the Hanoverian Succession troubled a number of people across Britain who felt that James was the natural heir to his half-sister Anne. This gave James one last chance to regain the throne by peaceful means, provided he was willing to convert to the Protestant faith, but he rejected the offer as he had twice before in 1701, when William offered to recognize him as his heir. Queen Anne had no affection for her Hanoverian relatives, but she despised Catholicism more than the thought of "German George" following her to the throne of Great Britain.

On September 6, 1715 John, the 6th Earl of Mar, raised James' standard at Braemar in the Scottish Highlands and invited the clans to take up arms to support their rightful king.

The Earl of Mar was an unlikely sort to lead a rebellion. He was better known as "Bobbing John" due to his lack of conviction and his propensity to switch sides at the drop of the hat. "Bobbing John" was one of the architects of the Act of Union and strongly associated with Queen Anne's government in Scotland. It became clear to him, after a lengthy grovelling session with king George I, that he would not retain his political offices in Scotland under the new Hanoverian regime. So Mar coerced a number of Jacobite chiefs and nobles into joining him at Braemar. Thus began the "Fifteen".

The "Fifteen"

The "Fifteen" had widespread support in the Highlands including the powerful Dukes of Gordon and Atholl (Murrays) and the Earl of Seaforth (Mackenzies). Important clans such as the MacGregors, the Keppoch and Glengarry MacDonalds, the MacLeans, Frasers and Clan Cameron formed the backbone of the Jacobite army. The Duke of Argyll (Clan Campbell) and Lord Sutherland were the principal supporters of the Hanoverain regime in Scotland. Both of these gentlemen were superior military leaders whereas the Earl of Mar was in over his head.

Nevertheless, the Jacobite Cause had many advantages: widespread support amongst the nobility, a weak economy that made the Jacobites seem like a better alternative, and general dissatisfaction with the Union, due to the overbearing attitude of English public servents towards the Scots in general. "Bobbing John" proved himself to be up to the task of wasting a tremendous opportunity.

By the beginning of October, Mar had assembled an army of 5,000 men near Perth. Argyll commanded the Government force of less than 2,000 men and retreated to Sterling to await reinforcements. Despite his numerical advantage, Mar dithered around in Perth and allowed Argyll to grow stronger with each passing day.

Battle of Sheriffmuir

Finally, in early November, both armies felt strong enough to go on the offensive and they fought an inconclusive battle at Sheriffmuir on November 14, 1715. Refer to the accompanying article on the Battle of Sheriffmuir in this issue for further detail. On the same day, a smaller force of 1,000 Jacobites were defeated in northern England at Preston, Lancashire. By the end of the month, the rebellion was confined to a small comer of Scotland and was dying from a lack of activity and leadership. James landed in Scotland in late December, hoping to breath some life into the stillborn rebellion, but even he could see that the cause was lost.

In January, Argyll advanced towards Perth with 10,000 men, forcing the small and demoralized Jacobite army to fall back to Aberdeen. James and Mar left Scotland on February 4 and sailed to France, while the remnants of his army dispersed into the hills. James would never see Scotland again. Hanoverian retribution, in the form of executions, deportations and confiscation of lands and titles, was swift. The brunt of the punishment fell on the English Jacobites, particularly for Lord Derwentwater, who was beheaded. A number of prominent Highland Jacobites escaped punishment altogether.

More Origins of the Jacobite Rebellion 1745

Introduction
Dundee's Rising In 1689
The Old Pretender
The Great Rising of 1715
The Little Rising of 1719
The "Forty Five" (1745)